A cross-party alliance of backbench MPs is preparing to do battle with the government to try to force through reforms which would see the timetable of the House of Commons wrested from the hands of the executive.

MPs are angered that plans for changes in parliament put forward by the Labour MP Tony Wright's democracy committee are being blocked by government. They include a proposal for a committee of backbenchers and members of both government and opposition to decide the house's business schedule rather than leaving the responsibility solely in government hands.

Last week the leader of the house, Harriet Harman, gave evidence to Wright's committee in which she said the government was neither going to table a motion for the business committee, nor allow MPs to amend the proposals to include a vote on it.

Now the group Parliament First has said the only option available is to table an amendment on the second parliamentary hearing of the Wright committee proposals, but even then it is not certain MPs would be allowed to vote on it.

Instead, Parliament First is hoping to persuade the Commons speaker by sheer weight of numbers – 130 MPs have so far declared themselves in favour of a vote.

The group is also pleased to have secured the support of the Conservative frontbencher Sir George Young, whose backing helps cast the government as more opposed to reform than its Tory opponents.

Those in favour of a vote come from across the political spectrum. They include the majority of the Wright committee, the Parliament First group and Liberal Democrat and nationalist MPs, as well as Conservative and Labour members.

The Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris told the Guardian that the government should just "butt out".